Pediatrician Appointment Today

If the idea of 4 shots to each twin today doesn't sound like a lot of fun, well, you know what...you're right, it's not fun. Although Paige and Taylor are older now, and therefore don't require nearly as many pediatrician appointments as they used to, today happened to be their 4-year old well child visit and wouldn't you know it, for their 4-year old check-up, they each got 4 shots to the arm (completing their next series of immunizations). While the shots are never a pleasant experience, there were some good things that came from today's pediatrician appointment:

- Paige and Taylor are both doing great, no changes in their health or medical history.

- Paige is in the 25th percentile for her height and is in the 3rd percentile for her weight. That's right, she's still a petite little girl, but hey, at least she's on the charts now for her weight and we no longer have to use those customized, preemie, weight-adjusted/chronological age adjusted charts for her! YES!!! Success!!!

- Taylor is also in the 25th percentile for her height and is in the 25th percentile for her weight. Not much of a surprise there really. Taylor has always been the better of the two eaters and with Paige's history of GERD and her history of needing supplements and caloric boosts in her daily diet via her GI doctor's recommendations, the discrepancy between the two girls' weights is just what the pediatrician expected to see today.

So, good news today all the way around. No more immunizations shots until the twins turn 6 years old and both girls are eating, growing, thriving and doing just super!

Update on Paige - Today's GI Doctor Appointment

With a little patience (OK, a lot of patience over the past 3 years) and a clear plan with Paige's gasteroenterologist (GI Doctor), we are continuing to see some positive weight gains for Paige. We had another routine check-up with Paige's GI doctor today and Paige is now weighing a whopping 25-1/2 pounds putting her in the 4th percentile. That's a two-pound increase from her last weight check with her GI doctor a little more than a month ago.

Now for those of you who don't know Paige, that may not be very impressive, but for those of you who do know Paige and her history with GERD/acid reflux and her strong food aversions, then you understand what a success that is for Paige to now be in the 4th percentile!

While Paige has always eaten like a little sparrow, ever since her NICU days as a preemie, and we've often had to rely upon a great deal of nutritional supplements prescribed by her GI doctor to help fortify her foods and maximize the nutrition of literally every bite of food, Paige is doing great by all accounts and her GI doctor was very pleased with Paige's weight gain since her last visit. At the end of our GI doctor appointment, the GI doctor said simply: "Paige's doing great...just stay the course, keep up all the supplements...and, see you in 3 months."

Since I know that there are some other moms out there who follow this blog on a regular basis and who also have a finicky eater or two in their household, for your benefit, I will share with you the latest line-up of nutritional supplements that I presently incorporate into Paige's daily diet to make sure that she receives all the necessary fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that represent a balanced diet for a toddler. Of course, be sure to check with your own child's GI doctor or pediatrician before introducing any of these items to your child.

Nutritional Supplements
- BOOST Resource Juice
- BOOST Resource Puddings
- Benecalorie Nutritional

The items above are fairly costly, but well worth the investment for their nutritional value. You can find out more information about the above products as well as review the nutritional contents of each item with a quick search online.

In addition to the above supplements, some of the following items can also help round out the finicky eater's diet as well as boost overall caloric intake:

- Half 'n Half
(I use Half 'n Half in lieu of reduced fat or whole milk because it's very dense, contains a lot of calories and contains a lot of nutritious fats, which are all essential to a growing toddlers' brain).

- Expecta Softgel by Enfamil
(While this is generally used by pregnant & nursing moms as a DHA supplement, Paige's GI doctor recommends this supplement in a young toddler's diet to ensure that the right proportions of Omega-3 fatty acids, responsible for brain growth/development, are being achieved. I use one Expecta Softgel capsule a day for both Paige and Taylor in order to help make sure that they are getting enough of their DHAs...I simply cut the top off the capsule and then squeeze the softgel into one of their foods and mix well. It's totally flavorless and therefore mixes well with most foods).

- Grapeseed Oil
(Like the Expecta Softgel, this too is totally flavorless and mixes well into any food, but it packs a lot of nutritional value for a young toddler with its many antioxidants, Vitamin E and its heart-healthy unsaturated fats).

Unlike the more costly supplements by Benecalorie & BOOST, the Half 'n Half, the Expecta Softgels and the Grapeseed Oil can all be purchased at your grocery store or specialty grocery store.